BY JORDAN COMMANDEUR • NOVEMBER 8, 2018

November 9 may as well be a day of observance for Hip-Hop Heads. With A Tribe Called Quest’s third album Midnight Marauders and Wu-Tang Clan’s debut Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) both dropping on that day 25 years ago, it’s a date that seems hard to imagine. While many release dates of the last 30-plus years had the most retail-savvy Hip-Hoppers happily leaving stores with great albums in their bags, few had this much potency over time. Not only are both ’93 LPs considered classics, but they are landmark releases for both groups, and blueprints for Rap albums that peers and disciples have been following since. These are the kind of albums that many fans can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they first heard them. They are not only milestones for Rap, but are also recognized as two of the most impactful records of the genre. Period.

While the quartet of Q-Tip, the deeply-missed Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Jarobi had already greatly established themselves with Peoples Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm and game-changing follow-up The Low End Theory, Midnight Marauders cemented their sound and is the group’s most cohesive album. Although there was a tour guide, none was needed for a seamless journey through clean, crisp drums and eclectic samples with the vinyl pops included. While Low End set a new standard in crate-digging and Jazz application, Tribe’s production (with Q-Tip at the helm) advanced even further on its third LP. On the rhyme side of things, both Tip and Phife came with a delicate balance of humorous punchlines and social commentary on this effort. Like its sounds, the subjects are dynamic. “Award Tour” is braggadocious Rap that refuses to fall flat or be predictable. The Abstract and the 5-Footer come up with drawn-out ways to give themselves a pat on the back for originality and style. “Electric Relaxation” takes a barrage of pick-up lines and makes the art of seduction seem fun, refusing to take itself too seriously. Seaman’s Furniture punchlines and all, the song is a welcomed change of pace from “B*tches Ain’t Sh*t,” “Baby Got Back,” or “F*ck U Man.” A tad juvenile, yes. Misogynistic, not exactly. Danceable, definitely.

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